Monthly Archives: December 2016

Have you noticed how safety has become integrated into our daily lives? What would you think if, every time you went to put gas in your car, there was a small-but-realistic chance of it catching fire? What if every time you turned on a light switch, you felt a strong electric shock? When the railroad was “new technology,” men applying for certain railroad jobs were asked to hold out their hands. Gnarled and injured hands indicated an experienced applicant. In the railroads and many industries, there was a time it was thought to be more cost effective to replace injured employees that to provide a safe work place. In the many decades since, society has made great strides in providing safe working and living environments.

So many safety features are engineered into and integrated into every aspect of our life that, to a large degree, our safety has become automatic. But that doesn’t remove our individual obligation to safety. While there is a vast amount of good engineering to help, it’s still up to us—individually in our every action—to use those features and do all we can to…

This morning I’m home sick with a head cold. Ever since I had transplant surgery three years ago, and since I’m immunosuppressed, I get sick more easily than before. Right now I’m wondering who I caught this cold from. Was it someone at work? Did I catch it while I was out shopping? Whoever gave me this cold probably didn’t realize how susceptible I am to illnesses, not realizing how his or her decision to go out in public would affect someone else – me! I’m staying home for two reasons. First, because I feel like crap. Second, I don’t want anyone else to catch this cold. (Oh, no! My wife is starting to sniffle!)

Here’s the safety tie-in. Our unsafe actions can also have an impact on others. Speeding or weaving in traffic can cause others to react poorly. Failure to clean up a mess may result in someone else being injured. I shouldn’t need to spell out the dangers of horseplay at work. Yes, we do tend to focus on personal safety, but we also need to be careful so others can…

Be Safe!

Keith Steele

P.S. I’ve been posting these tidbits on Tuesday, but starting in January I’ll (try) to get them online each Monday.

At work, I received an email with safety information from the National Traffic Highway Safety Administration (NTHSA). The following is extract from there.

“(Car) Owners may not always know their recalled vehicle still needs be repaired. NHTSA’s Recalls Look-Up Tool lets you enter a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) to quickly learn if a specific vehicle has not been repaired as part of a safety recall in the last 15 years. Check for recalls on your vehicle by searching now: https://vinrcl.safercar.gov/vin/.”

I think everyone remembers the airbag issues that made the news not long ago. I know I had a vehicle that was recalled as part of that process. I’m going to use that website and check all my vehicles. I’m not the only driver in my family, and I want us all to …

Be Safe!

Keith Steele

P.S. I’ve been posting these tidbits on Tuesday, but starting in January I’ll (try) to get them online each Monday.

One day when I was in college, I needed to use a restroom. I knew where a restroom was, and when I saw a sign for the men’s room I quickly entered. As soon as I entered, I could tell it didn’t look right. I exited more quickly than I’d entered and took a closer look at the sign. Someone had altered the sign for the women’s restroom so at a quick glance it looked like a sign for a men’s restroom. Fortunately for me, the room was empty and nobody saw me enter. Soon after, they had new restroom signs in that building that couldn’t easily be altered.

There are several ways I can connect this to safety, such as stay alert (I was very tired that day), pay attention to your surroundings and situation, and always try to correct a mistake as soon as possible. Perhaps the greatest lesson is this. Never mess with a safety sign or markings. My situation was simply embarrassing, but altering a safety sign or removing safety markings could result in injury. I know almost all people are honorable, so if you ever see an altered sign, let the “officials” know so it can be corrected. It will help you and others to …